Through a comparative analysis of Aftenposten and the Indonesian newspaper The Jakarta Post this paper takes a closer look at the differences and similarities one can find by analysing the two newspaper’s coverage of crime news. The data consists of a quantitative analysis of nearly 1000 crime articles, as well as qualitative interviews with informants from the two papers. The study shows some differences in the themes the papers cover, the genres they use, their choice of sources and the manner in which personal information is published. Still no significant differences are uncovered from the quantitative data. Without the qualitative findings one could easily mistakenly conclude that there are more similarities than dissimilarities between the two newspapers. The interviews, on the other hand, show that the work situation for a journalist in The Jakarta Post can be very different from the one the Norwegian journalist experiences. Corruption is a considerable factor in the Indonesian society and seriously influences the work of the journalists, often to the point of distorting the truth of the stories they publish. The interviews also uncovers that the way the journalists relate to the ethical guidelines in the two countries varies significantly.